CONGRESS
• NOTES/DISCUSSION OVER QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
• GROUP WORK HOUSE V. SENATE
• VOCAB. QUIZ MONDAY, FEB. 16
• STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE THE QUALIFICATION FOR BEING A MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
CONGRESS
•1. CONGRESS IS CHARGED WITH THE MOST BASIC GOVERNMENT
FUNCTION– THAT OF TRANSLATING THE PUBLIC WILL INTO
PUBLIC POLICY IN THE FORM OF LAW.
•2. JAMES MADISON CALLED CONGRESS “THE FIRST BRANCH” OF
THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
•3. THE FIRST ARTICLE OF THE CONSTITUTION IS DEVOTED TO IT
BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE
•1. TWO HOUSES
•2. THE SENATE – THE SMALLER OF THE TWO
•3. THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES– THE
LARGER OF THE TWO
WHY A BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE?
1.HISTORICAL
2.PRACTICAL
3.THEORETICAL
HISTORICAL
•BRITISH PARLIAMENT CONSISTED OF TWO
HOUSES
• AMERICANS KNEW THE BRITISH SYSTEM WELL
PRACTICAL
•HAD TO CREATE A TWO CHAMBERED BODY TO
SETTLE THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE VIRGINIA AND
NEW JERSEY PLAN
•EACH STATE IS REPRESENTED EQUALLY IN THE
SENATE AND BY POPULATION IN THE HOUSE
THEORETICAL
•TO ALLOW ONE HOUSE TO ACT AS A CHECK ON
THE OTHER
•A WAY TO DIFFUSE THE POWER OF CONGRESS
QUALIFICATIONS FOR CONGRESS
House of Representatives
Senate
25 Years Old
30 Years Old
Citizen for 7 Years
Citizen for 9 Years
Must live in the district from
which they are elected
Must live in the state from
which they are elected
House
Senate
435
100
How long is a term
2 Years
6 Years
Date of elections
The first Tuesday after
the first Monday every
even year
How many members
How are they chosen
By votes in the
districts
By votes in the state
DISTRICTS
•STATE LEGISLATURES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DRAWING
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS IN THEIR OWN STATE.
•THEY ARE TO HAVE “AS NEARLY AS PRACTICABLE AN EQUAL
NUMBER OF INHABITANTS”
HOW THE DISTRICTS ARE DIVIDED
• GERRYMANDERING-- DISTRICTS WERE DRAWN TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE
POLITICAL PARTY THAT CONTROL’S THE STATE’S LEGISLATURE. THE GOAL IT TO
CREATE AS MANY DISTRICTS THAT CAN BE WON BY THE PARTY IN CONTROL.
• MALAPPORTIONMENT-- POORLY APPORTIONED, ORGANIZED, OR STRUCTURED IN A
MANNER THAT PREVENTS LARGE SECTIONS OF A POPULATION FROM HAVING
EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION IN A LEGISLATIVE BODY.
• APPORTIONMENT-- TO DISTRIBUTE OR ALLOCATE PROPORTIONALLY, BASED ON
POPULATION.